Published: Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 6:35 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 16, 2012 at 9:01 a.m.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and the Metropolitan Area Noon Nutrition Association, which delivers meals to the elderly and home bound, will use funds raised during Sunday's fourth annual MANNA Sunday to help pay for those meals and to purchase replacement trays.

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MANNA Director Duyen Stokes said 20 to 25 churches will be participating Sunday in raising money for the organization. There also will be an all-you-can-eat hot cakes fundraiser from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday at McDonald's in Southside.

The cost of the McDonald's meal will be $6, with $3 going to MANNA. It will include hot cakes, sausage and a drink.

About $11,000 was raised last year on MANNA Sunday, Stokes said, and she hopes to raise a similar amount this year.

MANNA was founded in 1987 and receives funding from United Way and the city of Gadsden. Volunteers deliver about 240 hot, nutritious meals a day, five days a week, Stokes said.

The meals are prepared by Morrison Management at Riverview Regional Medical Center.

MANNA helps some clients come home from the hospital earlier or live in their homes longer, Stokes said, and the volunteers who deliver also get a chance to visit with and check on the clients on a daily basis.

The standard cost of the meals is $3.35, but that can be reduced to $1.75 or even free, depending on a client's income.

About 70 percent of the meals are full price, Stokes said, but she has seen an increase in free and reduced meals.

About 170 volunteers serve 22 routes and volunteer their time and gasoline, Stokes said. A route takes between an hour and an hour-and-a-half to run, Stokes said, and most volunteers take a route one day a week.

There is a waiting list of people wanting meals, but Stokes said additional volunteers and trays, which cost about $60, are needed to expand the program. Two trays are needed per client.

Tickets for the hot cakes fundraiser will be available at McDonald's, or can be obtained by calling the MANNA office at 256-543-5876 between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

<p>There is no such thing as a free lunch, and the Metropolitan Area Noon Nutrition Association, which delivers meals to the elderly and home bound, will use funds raised during Sunday's fourth annual MANNA Sunday to help pay for those meals and to purchase replacement trays.</p><p>MANNA Director Duyen Stokes said 20 to 25 churches will be participating Sunday in raising money for the organization. There also will be an all-you-can-eat hot cakes fundraiser from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday at McDonald's in Southside.</p><p>The cost of the McDonald's meal will be $6, with $3 going to MANNA. It will include hot cakes, sausage and a drink.</p><p>About $11,000 was raised last year on MANNA Sunday, Stokes said, and she hopes to raise a similar amount this year.</p><p>MANNA was founded in 1987 and receives funding from United Way and the city of Gadsden. Volunteers deliver about 240 hot, nutritious meals a day, five days a week, Stokes said.</p><p>The meals are prepared by Morrison Management at Riverview Regional Medical Center.</p><p>MANNA helps some clients come home from the hospital earlier or live in their homes longer, Stokes said, and the volunteers who deliver also get a chance to visit with and check on the clients on a daily basis.</p><p>The standard cost of the meals is $3.35, but that can be reduced to $1.75 or even free, depending on a client's income.</p><p>About 70 percent of the meals are full price, Stokes said, but she has seen an increase in free and reduced meals.</p><p>About 170 volunteers serve 22 routes and volunteer their time and gasoline, Stokes said. A route takes between an hour and an hour-and-a-half to run, Stokes said, and most volunteers take a route one day a week.</p><p>There is a waiting list of people wanting meals, but Stokes said additional volunteers and trays, which cost about $60, are needed to expand the program. Two trays are needed per client.</p><p>Tickets for the hot cakes fundraiser will be available at McDonald's, or can be obtained by calling the MANNA office at 256-543-5876 between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.</p>